J. Frank Norfleet

J. Frank Norfleet
Norfleet in 1924
Born
James Franklin Norfleet

February 23, 1865
Lampasas County, Texas, US
DiedOctober 15, 1967 (aged 102)
Burial placeLubbock Resthaven Mausoleum, Lubbock, Texas, US
Other names"Little Tiger"
Occupation(s)Rancher, manhunter
Height5 ft 5 in (165 cm)

James Franklin Norfleet (February 23, 1865 — October 15, 1967) was an American rancher who was responsible for the capture and arrest of over 100 criminals during the early 20th century.

Biography

Early life and ranching

Norfleet was born on February 23, 1865, in Lampasas County, Texas, to Jasper Holmes Benton, a Texas Ranger, and Mary Ann "Shaw" Norfleet. In 1870, the family moved to Williamson County to begin ranching. In 1879, he joined in a buffalo hunt in the Llano Estacado. Afterwards, he worked as a cowboy.[1]

In 1886, John and Dudley Snyder hired Norfleet to drive 5,000 cattle from Central Texas to the High Plains. He worked for the Snyder brothers until 1889, when Isaac L. Ellwood hired him as a foreman for Spade Ranch.[2] On June 23, 1894, he married Mattie Eliza Hudgins, and they had 4 children together: Mary, Robert Lee, Frank Ellwood, and Ruth Elise.[3][4] His family moved to Spade, Texas,[5] and by 1905, he owned 20,000 acres of land.[3]

Manhunting and later years

In 1919, Norfleet went to Dallas to try to sell his property to buy land from Christopher Columbus Slaughter. He lost around US$75,000 (~ $1.3 million in 2024) to five conmen: Joe Furey, E. J. Ward, W. B. Spencer, Charles Gerber, and Reno Hamlin.[6]

To get his money back, he went on a 30,000-mile long independent manhunt to capture the conmen. He followed Joe Furey from California to Florida, ending in a fight in a café and Norfleet bringing him back to Fort Worth. He followed W. B. Spencer to Canada, but lost a fight allowing Spencer to escape. Spencer ended up in a Utah prison. He captured three more men in Los Angeles, two more in Salt Lake City, and one in Georgia. He was nicknamed "Little Tiger" for being feared despite his short stature of 5 ft 5 in (165 cm).[4]

Between 1919 and 1935, Norfleet was responsible for the capture and arrest of over 100 criminals,[4] including Lou Blonger in Summer 1922.[7][8] He celebrated his 100th birthday in 1965, and died on October 15, 1967, at the age of 102. He is buried at the Lubbock Resthaven Mausoleum in Lubbock, Texas.[4]

References

  1. ^ "J. Frank Norfleet: The Sucker, the Sting, the Sweet Revenge | Hometown by Handlebar". hometownbyhandlebar.com. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  2. ^ Association, Texas State Historical. "Norfleet, James Franklin". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b "J. Frank Norfleet Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d "J. Frank Norfleet". www.davickservices.com. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  5. ^ Association, Texas State Historical. "Spade, TX (Lamb County)". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  6. ^ HAILE, BARTEE. "Swindeled rancher J. Frank Norfleet put con men behind bars". Plainview Herald. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  7. ^ Shalloo, J. P.; Cise, Philip S. Van (June 1936). "Fighting the Underworld". American Sociological Review. 1 (3): 182–194. doi:10.2307/2083982. ISSN 0003-1224.
  8. ^ "Blonger Bros. - The Grafters Club: J. Frank Norfleet". www.graftersclub.com. Retrieved 6 April 2024.